


Be Fruitful and Multiply

by ElaenaOfGilead



Category: Midsommar (2019)
Genre: Cults, Drug Use, Emotional Manipulation, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Gaslighting, Group Sex, I mean if you've seen the movie you should know what to expect, Ritual Sex, Stockholm Syndrome, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 15:06:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19748200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElaenaOfGilead/pseuds/ElaenaOfGilead
Summary: Set right after the movie ends. Pelle shows Dani how they share pleasure in his village.





	Be Fruitful and Multiply

**Author's Note:**

> I intended for this to be a quick PWP. I ended up with a >4000 word melodramatic mess somehow. I had no beta reader, I haven't written anything in years, and have only seen this movie once so... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Once the flames went out, the villagers began picking up the ashes and debris. The air was still heavy with the scent of smoke, the sickly-sweet smell of burning flesh long gone. Thankfully.

  
Dani had been in a state of total serenity during the burning. All her senses were consumed by the wild screams of the Harga, strange electricity in the air, the blinding glow of the fire and the shear absurdity of it all. For the first time in months, her mind and heart were free from grief. Free from shame and resentment and loneliness. It was like a wonderful and terrifying dream.

  
But then the rite was complete, and silence retuned. And she quickly remembered that this was no dream. Christian was dead. Dead by her choice. Mark and Josh were gone too. She had seen their bodies, or what was left of them, when the villagers were preparing the ritual. Connie and Simon too. The only ones left were her and…

  
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt two pairs of hands seizing her by the shoulders. It was the same two girls that had helped her into the strange flower garment.

  
“Don’t be afraid!” One of the chirped. “We’re helping you. You don’t want to be dragging this around all night.”

  
“Yes, it’s heavy. Probably scratchy too. I wouldn’t want to be you.” Muttered the other one, untangling the flower stems that held the flowers together. Her companion laughed.

  
“She’s just jealous because you got to be the May Queen.” Jeered the first girl.

  
“Now girls, there is no room for jealousy in our family.” A different voice interjected.

  
Dani turned around to face the speaker, letting the now-loose flower garment slip from her shoulders.

  
It was the Elder woman that had overseen the ättestupa ritual. Siv, Dani remembered.

  
“The Gods have blessed Dani by choosing her as May Queen.” She said, gesturing towards the sky. “In turn, she gave our crops her blessing. And the Harga the gift of her presence.”

  
Siv spoke a few more phrases in Swedish. The girls giggled and said something in reply that made her smile. She sent them away after that and turned her attention to Dani.

  
“Come now. The offering was a success, my dear.” Said Siv, putting her hand on Dani’s shoulder and gesturing for her to walk. “But I understand, it’s probably quite hard for you. Most of our people were born here, but I was once a newcomer like you. I remember how frightening it was at first.”

  
Dani looked around as they walked, Siv’s voice fading under the howl of the wind. The villagers were no longer in the manic frenzy of the burning, but they still seemed in good spirits.

  
_After what just happened._ Dani thought wildly. _After watching three men burn alive. Two of them were their own people. Everyone just watched, even the children._

  
There were no children to be seen now, however. They must have been sent away after the flames died. How long had it been since then? Minutes? Hours? _Days?_

  
Once again, Dani’s thoughts were cut short.

  
“Dani! Over here!” The familiar voice sent chills down Dani’s spine.

  
Pelle was practically prancing towards them, his pale face still framed by the grass wreath. She heard Siv chuckle at the sight.

  
“He-hey.” Dani stuttered.

  
She let out a small yelp as he collided with her, his arms wrapping around her and lifting her from the ground. He spun her around before putting her back down, with his body still pressed against hers.

  
“Oh Dani, I am so glad you came.” He said softly, his lips grazing her neck. “I wanted so badly to share this with you. I knew you were the only one who would truly appreciate it.”

  
“This…” She said in confusion. Her head was spinning.

  
“My home. My family.” He said, lifting his head from her neck and caressing her face with his hand. “ _Our_ family.”

  
Pelle was grinning wide. Dani had never seen him like this. Just a week ago he was just one of her boyfriend’s buddies. He was the one she had liked the most. He was so soft-spoken and thoughtful. Almost timid at times. Dani remembered more than once wishing some of it would rub off on Christian.

  
“Is this what you wanted?” The words sputtered out of her moth before she could stop herself. “Were you… this whole time…?”

  
_Were you planning to kill them?_

  
Pelle’s grin faded. He quickly mustered another smile, but Dani didn’t miss the way his eyes darkened. But before he could respond, Siv chimed in.

  
“Many things may not make sense now dear, but they will in time. I promise.” She said, placing her hand on Dani’s back. There was a tinge of pity in her expression. “But now is a time of celebration. Today we have all shared pain and sorrow. Tonight, we share pleasure and joy.”

  
Siv resumed walking and gestured for them to come. Dani made a motion to follow her, but Pelle’s arms tightened around her, holding her in place.

  
“I’ll take her in a few minutes.” He said quickly. “I do owe her some answers. We won’t be long.”

  
Siv smiled and crossed her arms, looking almost amused. She said something in their language that made Pelle laugh and shake his head. She walked away and he gave her a small wave, keeping his other arm loosely coiled around Dani’s waist.

  
They were both quiet until Siv was out of sight. Surprisingly, Dani was the one to break the silence.

  
“Did you know?” She said. “When you invited us here, did you know that this was going to happen?”

  
“No.” He responded softly, looking away for a moment. “I wanted to share this celebration with my friends. I did not intend them to be part of the sacrifice. Mark disrespected our dead, Josh tried to steal our sacred scriptures and Christian… Well, Christian’s fate was up to you.”

  
Dani felt a stabbing pain in her gut at the words. She knew it was the truth, but it stung nonetheless. It had all seemed so unreal. Standing in the sun, wrapped in flowers. The sight of Christian naked, moaning and groaning and thrusting wildly. They hadn’t been intimate since Dani lost her family, but even before that she couldn’t remember him ever being that passionate.

  
She remembered him staring at her, his eyes unblinking, burning tears dripping from her cheeks. When she pointed at him instead of the villager, Dani swore she could see his eyes watering, his face contorting ever so slightly before stiffening again.

  
“No, no, no… Please, don’t misunderstand.” Pelle said softly. He held her close once again, wiping her tears away just as they spilled from her eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Nobody did. It all happened as the Gods intended. The ninth sacrifice was meant to cast out the darkest affekts from our village. To banish our greed, our apathy, our selfishness. Christian was polluted with these. The Gods chose you as May Queen and you chose Christian. It was meant to be.”

  
Dani pushed him away, baffled by his words. For an instant, her mind was unclouded again.

  
“He was your friend!” she said shaking her head. “They were all your friends. You knew them for years. Your own brother died! H-how can you talk like that?”

  
“Oh Dani, there’s no reason to pity them.” He said, smiling again. “I know it’s hard, but you will understand in time. They have become one with nature again, as you and I will one day. They gave their lives for a higher purpose. We do not see that as a tragedy, but a great honor.”

  
“You said you didn’t plan for it to turn out like this but… If I hadn’t chose Christian…” Dani clenched her jaw for a second, debating whether to finish the question. Debating whether she could handle the answer. “If I hadn’t chose him… would you have let us leave?”

  
Pelle’s expression soured again.

  
“He never deserved you.” He spat. “He was cruel, careless and cowardly. Do you know what he was doing on the night your family died? While you were calling him and begging for his help? He was planning to leave you. He was too spineless to decide for himself, so he gathered us all around him so we could convince him. He wanted to be single for this trip, so he could fuck other women. If I hadn’t mentioned the trip at that party, he would have never told you. He only invited you because he thought you would refuse. Christian was my friend; I wish things could have been different but...”

  
His voice trailed off. Pelle clenched his fists for a second, licking his lips.

  
“He wouldn’t let you go.” He said finally, almost apologetically. “I really wish he had Dani. Before it came to this. But please, don’t waste your sorrow on him.”

  
Dani almost told him that he hadn’t answered her question. But she realized, he had.

  
A part of her was horrified. Another part of her, to her shame, felt vindicated. She had been so afraid for so long. That she was the problem. That she really was crazy and needy and pathetic. That the scraps of affection Christian threw her way were all she would ever get, because it was all she could hope to deserve.

  
“You are so beautiful.” He said, approaching her once again. “I knew from the moment I met you, that I wanted to bring you here. Your heart is kind even to those that don’t deserve it. Always so patient and loving, even in grief. When I first left the village, I was shocked by how callous the outside world was, how alone I felt. Winters were warmer in America, but I always felt so cold. I didn’t know how people could live and die in a place like that. But then…”

  
Before she knew it, he was inches away from her, and then his arms were around her again. The sun was still out, barely hovering above the horizon, bathing them pale, reddish light.

  
“Then I met you.” His voice was a deep whisper. She could smell the sweet scent of the mushroom tea in his breath. “That first time we talked, I felt at home for the first time in years. I knew you were the one I was looking for. The one I’d been sent out to find. I knew Christian was unworthy of you, that I just had to bid my time. The wait was maddening Dani, but I knew the Gods would not fail me.”

  
“Pelle...” She said, breathless. Nobody had ever spoken to her like that. She felt drunk on his words. She was likely still drunk from the tea they’d given her.

  
“Did you know I made your wreath?” He said, brushing the petals around her head with his fingers, before bringing them down to her cheek. “I always knew you would look so beautiful, standing here, surrounded by yellow flowers.”

  
Without another word, he kissed her. He had done that before, or at least Dani though he had, when she was crowned May Queen. But her head had been spinning then, the tea and exhaustion clouding her mind. His kiss, the villagers flouncing around her, Christian’s disinterested expression, her feet merging with the grass, her dead mother walking among the crowd. She didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.

  
This kiss though, was very real. It was slow and gentle, and full of tenderness. He pressed his body against hers, running his hands down her back. She felt a wave of arousal pass through her body. Before the rational part of her mind had the chance to talk her out of it, to remind her this man was dangerous, that he was one of them, she found herself kissing him back.

  
She felt his tongue press against her lips, and quickly parted them to allow him access. Pelle moaned into her mouth, his hands slipping past her back and grasping her ass. He pressed against her tighter and she felt something press against her belly. He was hard as a rock.

  
It was Pelle who broke the kiss, and Dani found herself leaning forward as he did, trying to recapture his lips. He chuckled softly before speaking.

  
“I’m sorry Dani. I lost track of time.” He said. “Let’s go. They must be wondering where we are by now.”

  
“We don’t need to go.” She said softly.

  
“We do.” He insisted, looking almost smug. “Do you know what Siv told me, before she left?”

  
Dani looked at him expectantly.

  
“She told me not to be covetous.” He replied. “This celebration is our time to share our joy, our desire. It would be selfish of me to keep you from it. Let me show you how we share pleasure.”

  
He held her hand as they walked back to the village together.

  
She stopped abruptly once she saw what building he was leading her to. Two women stood outside the wooden temple where she had seen Christian. One of them was Pelle’s sister, dressed in the same white and crimson dress she had worn during the burning. It dawned on Dani that she had been the one Christian was with.

  
Pelle must have known what was going through her mind.

  
“Don’t be afraid Dani. It’s going to be ok.” He reassured. “I know what you saw today was painful, but I swear my sister meant no harm.”

  
“She fucked my boyfriend.” She snapped. “How could she not mean harm?”

  
“We view sex differently here. Maja would have never done that if she knew that it would hurt you.” He offered, looking apologetic. “She’s was very excited about finally coming of age. When Christian came to her, she assumed you would be ok with it.”

  
Dani glanced back at the two women. Maja did look so young. Pelle said in the village children came of age at eighteen. That made her nearly a decade younger than Christian. He had already come on this trip with the intent to sleep with other women and had gone after a teenager as soon as Dani had turned her back.

  
“What are they doing in there?” Dani said, reluctantly walking again.

  
“You will see.” Pelle responded, smiling reassuringly.

  
Maja and her companion saw them approach. Maja whispered something, and they exchanged a girlish giggle.

  
“You’re late!” She said to her brother with a childish grin. “Everyone else is already here.”

  
“Siv asked us to wait outside so we could help you two get ready.” Said the other girl, mockingly putting her hands on her hips. “She said it would only be a few minutes.”

  
“Thank you for your patience, sister.” Pelle said sarcastically.

  
“Don’t thank me, apologize to our new sister making her late.” Said Maja, grabbing one of Dani’s hand and leading her through the black doors of the temple.

  
Inside there was an intricate wooden door that separated the entrance from the main room. Dani could hear laughter and moans coming from the inside. Nothing like the raging, unison groans that had led her there this morning. But she had a good idea of what was going on in the temple.

  
Maja and her friend helped her and Pelle out of their clothes before removing their own. Despite everything, it was still jarring to see two siblings so comfortable being nude around one another. The girls carefully unbraided her hair, loosening the yellow flower wreath from her head. Maja’s friend ran her fingers through Dani’s golden locks, commenting something in Swedish and letting out a pleased hum.

  
There was a large bowl with what Dani suspected was more tea. It was almost empty, but there was enough for Maja to pour her a cup. It was pinkish and sweet, different from the ones she had been given before. The other girl presented Pelle with a small box made of polished stone. Once opened, thick, white smoke escaped from the box, which Pelle inhaled it deeply before shutting it again.  
Dani knew right away that this tea was different from any of the others she was given before. The effects manifested within seconds. The world was spinning, and her vision was blurred. Waves of nausea, arousal and utter terror hit her body in quick and violent succession. For what seemed like an eternity, she could do nothing more than stay still.

  
Suddenly, she felt impossibly warm hands caressing her naked body. There was one pair, then two, then three. Voices were around her, whispering soothing words she could not understand. The feverish touches contrasted with the hard, rough coldness against her back. Dani realized at some point she had knelt, or fell, to the floor.

  
Her sight started to return. A beautiful face was in front of hers, pale and framed by hay-yellow hair.

  
_She’s Maja’s friend._ she remembered. _Her name is Signe._

  
Dani was far too gone to wonder how she knew that.

  
“It’s ok. It’s going to be alright.” Someone said behind her. The voice seemed to far away to recognize, but Dani could feel their warm breath on her nape. “It’s always difficult the first time, but we will guide you through it. Everyone will be here with you. There’s no reason to fear.”

  
Strong arms lifted her from the floor. It was too fast, and she was hit with another wave of nausea. A whimper escaped her lips and she pressed her face against the figure’s broad chest. She felt a pair of soft, small hands caressing her hair as she was taken into the temple.

  
The main room was much darker. Four massive candles were placed around what seemed to be an altar. On top of the wooden platform was the blonde oracle boy, with the misshapen head. He had been present at the burning as well. He was hunched over the sacred texts, just as he had been then, only briefly glancing at the scene beneath.

  
The temple floor was covered in dark furs. The nude Hargans laid across them, their milky skin almost entirely covering the surface. For an instant, they seemed to be a single, lumpy mass. A ball of limbs and folds and screeching mouths, as monstrous and deformed as their oracle.

  
The mass seemed to split into individual figures once Pelle announced their presence. Villagers stood from the furs to greet the May Queen. Dani felt more hands on her body, some soft and gentle, others calloused and wrinkled. They tore her from Pelle’s embrace, but she was no longer afraid. They were on her thighs and hips, combing across her hair, dragging across her lips. The furs felt soft and warm on her back. The smell of skin and musk was almost overwhelming.

  
There were so many voices around her, laughing and moaning and jeering. There were too many and too loud to recognize anyone, but Dani swore she heard Siv’s laugh on her ear as slender hands grasped her breasts. She felt rough, wrinkly fingers on her nipples, tickling them and rubbing them. She let out a shocked yelp when she felt the hands pinch them.

  
Faces danced in front of her, moving in and out of the shadows, morphing as they moved to and fro. Dani’s eyes bounced around the room, looking frantically, but struggling to remember who she was trying to find. She saw many different faces, hundreds even. Faces of the old and young, men and women. She wondered how there could be so many people in the temple, when she knew there were no more than forty Hargans. On the edge of her vision, a greyish face came into the light. It was the man that had jumped from the cliff a few days prior. His eyes were dark and sunk. His expression was still as somber and reverent as it had been back then. A chill ran down Dani’s back. One of his hands grasped her ankle and she could feel the warm blood spill from his palm.

  
Dani jerked her leg, releasing his grip, whining in fear.

  
The faces around her cooed and hushed. They seemed to shuffle around for a moment before Pelle’s nude form emerged from between.

  
He was kneeling in front of her now, leisurely stroking himself. His pale skin glowed under the candlelight, marred only by the thick brown hair spread from his groin to his chest. His eyes were half-lidded and brimming with lust, and his cheeks were almost as red as his cock.

  
One of the Elders stood from the furs, silencing the drone of the villagers’ voices. He spoke in their tongue, gesturing towards Pelle and Dani. It was followed by noises of agreement and Dani looked to Pelle in confusion.

  
“He wants us to lead tonight.” He said, his voice low and hoarse. Dani noticed the Temple had gone eerily silent.

  
The mass of faces closed around them, the Elder sinking back to join them. Their eyes were fixed on Dani, their mouths smiling wide. She tried to move her arms, to cover herself, but firm hands held her wrists in place above her head.

  
Pelle descended upon her, grabbing and rubbing and squeezing. She let out a desperate moan as he took one of her breasts into her mouth and swirled his tongue. The Hargan women echoed her moan enthusiastically. The men did the same once Pelle lifted his mouth from her, admiring her hardened, reddened nipple.

  
His mouth felt burning hot and almost impossibly good. He kissed and nibbled a path from her breasts to her stomach. The villagers mimicked every squeal and moan that escaped from their lips.

  
I _t’s like making love on a cave._ Dani thought wildly. _A cave full of ghosts._

  
She groaned when she felt Pelle’s tongue and lips between her legs. He ate her out for what seemed like an eternity. The villagers’ hands returned, holding her knees, keeping them spread to allow him easy access. They fell on Pelle’s body as well, massaging his thighs and back as he worked. At one point an elderly woman had sank her fingers into his hair, pressing his face against her clit as she mimicked Dani’s shameless moans.

  
Plump, soft lips engulfed one of her nipples and Dani was shocked at how little she cared when she saw they were Maja’s. Her red lipstick left a faint mark on Dani’s golden skin once she pulled away.  
By the time Pelle lifted his head from her lap, she was nearly going mad with pleasure.

  
“Please…” She begged, her voice already hoarse and desperate.

  
He growled at her words. The echo that followed almost frightened Dani.

  
Pelle laid his body on top of hers, propping himself up with one hand. He took a hold of his cock with the other and pushed into Dani, grasping for air as he did. Dani was dripping wet from his earlier ministrations, and he went in with ease. She didn’t remember ever feeling this good just from putting it in.

  
Pelle took a moment to gather himself, looking down at Dani, taking in the sight. He kissed her mouth hungrily, lightly biting her lip as he pulled away. He gave her breasts a firm squeeze before he started moving his hips.

  
“Fuck, Dani.” He exclaimed, dragging the last syllable into a moan. “You feel so fucking perfect. Gods, you look so beautiful.”

  
Sounds of approval rang through the crowd. Dani glanced around, drowned in arousal, and noticed many villagers had began doing more than simply observe.

  
One of the elders was laying on his side. Over his groin, a mop of blonde hair bounced in tandem with Pelle’s thrusts. To Dani’s left, Maja was half-sitting on the lap of a male villager. His hands were cupping her breasts as Signe crouched over them, her fingers sunk between Maja’s pale thighs. Her eyes met Dani’s, and Maja gave her a warm smile, her lipstick now almost completely faded. Behind them Dani saw someone else. Far from the reach of the candlelight was familiar face with a desperate, sorrowful expression. She turned away before her mind could put a name to the face.

  
Suddenly, Dani felt the grasping hands leave her knees and wrists. Pelle grabbed her by the waist, rolling them around until he was sitting back, and Dani was laying on top, his manhood still buried within her. He thrust into her with renewed passion, the shakes of his hips strong enough to bounce Dani on his lap. He propped himself up with one arm, embracing her with the other. Dani sank her face into his neck, whimpering into it. Pelle reached between them then, gently rubbing her clit as he thrust.

  
It wasn’t long until she came with a breathless cry. The Hargans replied with a deafening cry of their own, most of them now touching themselves or others around them. Pelle removed his fingers, groaning at the display, and quickened his pace. He flipped them around again, dropping Dani on her back and spreading her legs wide. He drove into her roughly, squeezing her thighs as he did. She was about to protest, to ask him to slow down, to tell him it was too much, when he finally came with a roar. She could feel him spilling inside of her, warm and almost soothing.

  
Pelle kissed her then. It was gentle and unhurried. The temple was practically shaking with the sounds of sex, but Dani felt impossibly calm. For the first time in years, she felt sated and safe. After what seemed like a blissful eternity, Pelle pulled out. He grabbed her legs, putting them together and pressing them against her chest.

  
“You must stay like this, just for a bit. Ok?” He said tenderly. “Oh Dani. This was worth every second of wait. I can’t wait for us to be fruitful together.”

  
Dani said nothing in response. Her mind was as spent as her body. She could only nod in agreement. She knew it would all be different next morning. That tomorrow she would have to wake up, sober and clear-headed, and face the true horror of what had transpired that day. The true hopelessness of her circumstances. The undeniable depravity of Pelle’s actions.

  
But if only for that night, Dani felt embraced.


End file.
